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Friday, April 06, 2012

Anyone see Ryan Clowes' stick? Anyone, Everyone, No one...

Perhaps he was a little confused, thinking back to the days of his youth on the backyard rink, where players would throw their sticks out on the ice to select teams.

Whatever, the reason, Ryan Clowes' phantom stick has gone viral, seen by a vast hockey audience through YouTube and other video portal offerings, seen by many, but as things turned out, not by those that were actually on the ice enforcing the rules.

While the LA Kings were more than aware what happened on Jarret Stoll's break down the right wing, the four officials on the ice somehow were otherwise occupied when Ryan Clowe reached over the boards from the bench and knocked the puck off of Stoll's stick.

A move that in the end perhaps provided the margin of victory for the Sharks in a tight race for playoff positing with the Kings in NHL West.

Changing the Kings break out into the Sharks end may or may not made the difference in the eventual Sharks victory, still, if you're going to have rules, what Clowe did clearly isn't part of the rule book.

Unlike the backyard rink, Clowe's move took place live on television and as any YouTube search can provide replayed over and aver and over again, so the defence of "what, no way, never happened" isn't going to wash.

Clowe was playing coy post game, suggesting he would have to see the video to find out what everyone is talking about, perhaps Brendan Shanahan can invite him up for a viewing party, followed by a one game suspension, just in time for the rematch with the Kings on Saturday.